At present in the event of an accident a structural hatch located in the upper section of a cockpit is provided in order to access the inside of the aircraft cockpit when the cockpit door cannot be opened. This structural hatch is connected to a cover plate.
The aircraft comprises a lock or locking means which keep the cover plate in the closed position fixed to the aircraft structure and actuating means (for example, a fixed arm on one side of the structural hatch) connected to the structural hatch which apply pressure to the locking means. When the structural hatch has to be opened, the locking means are unlocked from the inside or the outside and the cover plate is no longer fixed to the structure of the aircraft.
Hence, when the structural hatch moves into the open position, the cover plate falls inside the cockpit and risks striking the individuals present in the cockpit.